Evaluation of Adverse Reactions among Section Blood Donors in South Gujarat: A Cohort Study under the Haemovigilance Programme of India

Introduction: Blood donation is vital part of any blood transfusion services in healthcare. There are various Adverse Donor Reactions (ADRs) associated with blood donation. These reactions affect blood donation and, in terms supply of blood. Understanding the prevalence and nature of ADRs is crucial for improving the overall donor experience, so that the present study was done to estimate the incidence of ADRs among blood donors, along with typing such donors with reactions according to the National Blood Donor Vigilance Programme (Haemovigilance Program of India - HvPI). Aim: The present study was conducted to find out the incidences and types of ADRs among whole blood and apheresis donors. Materials and Methods: The present prospective observational cohort study was conducted at a blood centre attached to Tertiary Care Government hospital of South Gujarat, India, from February 2021 to December 2024, according to guidelines given by the Department of Biologicals, Government of India, under the National Haemovigilance Programme. During the present study analysis of ADRs among whole blood donors and apheresis donors, along with effect of gender, site of donation, and type of donation on ADRs. The analysis was done using two-tailed Chi-square test and odds ratios at 95% confidence interval. Results: Among total of 34,202 blood donations during the study period, the overall incidence of ADRs was 168 (0.49%). Majority of ADRs were Vasovagal Reactions (VVR), constituting 96.42% of all types. Most ADRs (56.54%, i.e., 95 out of 168 ADRs) occurred in donors aged 18-30 years, with first-time donors exhibiting a higher prevalence of 52.38%. Notably, ADRs were more frequent in females than in males (0.74% vs. 0.48%). Outdoor donation camps showed a higher rate of ADRs compared to in-house donations (0.51% vs. 0.38%), although these findings were not statistically significant (p-value >0.05 at 95% confidence interval). Conclusion: The present study highlighted the importance of age, gender, donation type, and donation site in relation to ADRs. Effective donor counselling and observation, especially for first-time donors, are crucial in minimising ADRs and enhancing donor safety. Understanding the factors influencing ADRs can be helpful to improve donor recruitment and retention, ultimately contributing to a safer and more sustainable blood donation system.